


Beneath the Mistletoe

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-02
Updated: 2007-02-02
Packaged: 2019-01-19 14:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12411672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: Mistletoe is the cause of romance at a Christmas Eve party in the Gryffindor common room. Of course, with all new romance, there are awkward moments and annoying friends. What better to have on a snowy Christmas Eve? HarryGinny





	Beneath the Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

_Oh, by gosh, by golly_  
It's time for mistletoe and holly  
Fancy ties an' granny's pies  
An' folks stealin' a kiss or two  
As they whisper, "Merry Christmas" to you

 

The kiss was short, innocent, and sweet. Yet they both felt the spark, the undeniable yearn for more. 

 

They stood there for a moment, staring at each other with a mixture of longing, of love, of desire, of need. Still in their own world, away from the Gryffindor common room, Harry started to lean in once more. He and Ginny both came crashing to their senses, though, when they heard Ron’s voice yell their names from where he was standing near the common room. 

 

They were both blushing red–almost as red as the ribbon that tied the sprig of mistletoe that had brought about that first kiss. Harry opened his mouth to say something but he only managed to gesture at Ron. Ginny, too, had no voice for words and simply shrugged and gave him a small hopeful smile before they silently, awkwardly, walked over to where Ron was standing next to Hermione. 

 

Hermione was glaring at Ron who seemed at a loss to the cause of this anger. When he saw Harry and Ginny approaching, he grinned and interrupted Hermione by saying, “Oi! I’ve found us some butterbeer”� He winked obviously at them, pulling out four bottles of firewhiskeys. 

 

Hermione swatted Ron’s arm as she saw them, but took one anyway. “Come on, Ginny!”� she said. Grabbing a firewhiskey for her friend, Hermione linked arms with Ginny and dragged her to the fireplace at the other side of the common room. 

 

Harry stared wistfully at Ginny’s retreating figure. They were soon lost among the crowds of Gryffindor packed into the Gryffindor common room that Christmas eve. The not-so-diplomatic Ron once again interrupted Harry’s thoughts. “Mate, would you please stop checking out my sister. That’s just wrong.”� 

 

Harry turned to his friend indignantly, “I was not checking out your sister, mate.”� 

 

Ron laughed, “You were definitely checking out my sister. According to Hermione, I’m a righteous prick for calling you over here when you were so obviously having a moment.”� 

 

Harry opened his mouth and then shut it, thinking better of what he was going to say. He downed a large swallow of firewhiskey before saying, “It’s alright, mate. No one would expect you to recognize the obvious, anyhow.”� 

 

\- - - 

 

“What was that?”� Hermione screeched as soon as they were far enough away from Ron and Harry. 

 

Ginny blushed even redder, “Be quieter, could you? It was… mistletoe.”� Ginny gestured at the green sprigs floating around the room. 

 

Hermione glared at her friend, “I saw that kiss, Gin. That was most definitely not just mistletoe.”� 

 

“It was. There was mistletoe hanging about us. We had to kiss. It’s tradition, Hermione.”� Ginny insisted. 

 

“Tradition or not, you most definitely wanted to kiss him again. You should have seen the looks on your faces after you kissed… it was absolutely adorable.”� Hermione gushed. 

 

Ginny laughed, and then rolling her eyes, conceded. “Alright, maybe a tiny part of me kind of wanted to maybe kiss him again,”� she said tentatively, immediately taking a long sip of firewhiskey.  
“Aha!”� Hermione grinned triumphantly, “If only your idiot of a brother weren’t so daft.”� 

 

“Mione, it’s Ron we’re talking about. Daft’s his middle name.”� Ginny said with a grin. 

 

“What is this?”� A deeper voice interceded, “Let’s Bash Ron Day? Why wasn’t made aware?”�  
“Every day is Let’s Bash Ron Day, dear brother.”� Ginny grinned up at her brother. Her grin faded when she saw who was standing behind him. She quickly turned back to Hermione, mouthing, “Help”�. 

 

Either Hermione was being stupid, or she was ignoring Ginny on purpose. The latter being the more plausible, Ginny decided to murder her brother and best friend in the near future when they made up a lame excuse to leave. 

 

“Hermione, I just realized I forgot to do the potions essay. Do you think I could copy yours?”� Ron asked glancing at Harry and Ginny in an attempt to clue Hermione in. 

 

She looked confused for a moment, but then a small smile appeared on her face, “Oh, that potions essay. Yeah, it was a tough one. Come with me, I’ll get it for you.”� 

 

“Thanks!”� Ron said in an overly enthusiastic tone. As an afterthought he added, “Hey Harry, why don’t you keep Ginny company until Hermione comes back. Wonderful. Be right back, mate!”� 

 

Ron turned to the waiting Hermione, and the two walked towards the girls’ staircase. It wasn’t unheard by Harry and Ginny, however, when Hermione said rather loudly, “That was genius, Ron! Maybe you aren’t as daft as I thought.”� 

 

“Shush, woman! They’ll hear you!”� 

 

“Potions essay?”� Ginny asked skeptically. 

 

“Nonexistent.”� Harry confirmed. 

 

“Did you have anything to do with my brother’s fine performance?”� 

 

Harry shook his head hurriedly, “Nothing.”� 

 

“Mmm…”� Ginny murmured, not sure of what to say. 

 

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and then they spoke at the same moment. 

 

“Look–“ 

 

“Well–“ 

 

They both blushed scarlet. Harry swallowed before saying, “You go first.”� 

 

“Ah, well, er…”� Ginny trailed off, looking around the room for help. Realizing she wasn’t about to get anything, she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She attempted a smile as she shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing?”� She squeaked, sounding rather unsure of herself.

 

Harry laughed at the helpless look on Ginny’s face. The laugh immediately turned into a cough that turned into a choke as the helpless look changed to one of disbelief and anger. Ginny let out a little laugh at the choking Harry. Her eyebrows rose in shock, as she patted Harry hard on the back. 

 

A few of the Gryffindors turned at the commotion, and looked genuinely concerned at the doubled-over Harry. “Harry?”� Ginny asked, laughing lightly, “Are you alright?”� 

 

Harry had stopped choking and coughed quietly before looking up at Ginny. “Er… yeah. I’m all right, thanks…”� he muttered, blushing red. 

 

Ginny gave Harry a small smile as she unconsciously stepped forward, closer to Harry. “You sure?”� She whispered, her heart pounding at their close proximity. 

 

Harry returned the smile and he, too, stepped forward a bit. “Yeah, I’m alright…”� he trailed off, instinctively pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. Ginny blushed at the gesture but made no effort to move. 

 

“That’s good. I’d hate for you… not to be… okay,”� Ginny’s whispers grew less and less connected as their faces got closer. Harry smiled at the reply as he leaned down.

 

“Hey Gin!”� Ron’s loud voice called from behind a crowd of people. He pushed is way through and immediately smacked himself in the forehead as he saw the two immediately separate, blushing. 

 

“Ronald!”� Hermione scolded, slapping his shoulder, “You’re a righteous prat, you know?”� 

 

“Not like you warned me,”� mumbled Ron. 

 

“Telling you not to go isn’t warning enough? What is, then?”� Hermione asked, rolling her eyes. 

 

“Calm down, Mione!”� 

 

Hermione sent a seething glare at Ron, “Don’t tell me to calm down. And don’t call me Mione. Are you that dense? I swear, I’ve told you a million times.”�

 

“Well, sorry. Merlin, Hermione, no need to blow up over nothing.”� 

 

“Over nothing? You’ve been ruining everything so far!”�

 

“There’s barely anything to ruin, Hermione. You’re overreacting.”� 

 

“I am not, Ron. It’s not just this. You’re awful at doing absolutely anything.”� 

 

“Thanks for the support, Hermione. That was a boost to my ego.”� 

 

“Oh, please Ron. Your ego is huge, it doesn’t need boosting.”� 

 

“Did you hear something die? Oh, no, that was my self-esteem. Thanks Hermione.”� 

 

“Oh, god. Never say that again, Ron. That was so girl–“ Hermione stopped suddenly, whipping her head around, peering around the room. She smiled at the sight. Sighing, she turned to Ron who was grinning widely, “Alright,”� she conceded, “Maybe you’re not so bad.”� 

 

\- - - 

 

“Over nothing? You’ve been ruinin–“ Ginny rolled her eyes, and turned to Harry with an apologetic smile. 

 

Putting a finger to his lips, Harry gestured at an empty area in front of a window away from the bickering Ron and Hermione. 

 

Ginny grinned and nodded. Reaching for Harry’s hand, the two tiptoed away from their arguing friends, grinning to each other. 

 

Once out of hearing range, Ginny lapsed into a fit of giggles, sliding against the wall until she was sitting on the plush carpet. She looked up at a quizzical Harry, and smiled. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him down next to her. Harry shook his head but sat anyways. Silence reigned its heavy hand for a moment, allowing the two to digest and interpret to their wit’s end. Finally, Harry gathered up what little courage was left in his pounding heart and stammered, “G-great view from here, is-isn’t it/”� 

 

Ginny laughed a shaky laugh, replying, “Yeah, gorg–“ Ginny came to an abrupt halt as her vision turned upward. 

 

Harry looked curiously at the girl. “What is it, Gin? You alright? You look as… oh,”� Harry too looked up to where Ginny was now pointing. “Oh, that.”� 

 

And then it happened. Just like the first. The kiss was short, innocent, and sweet. Yet they both felt the spark, the undeniable yearn for more. 

 

This time there was no interrupting older brothers or annoyed friends. They sat there, smiling stupidly at each other and then they decided to try it again. And again. 

 

“Merry Christmas, Gin.”� Harry whispered

 

“Merry Christmas,”� Ginny said with a wide, jubilant grin. 

 

They both turned up, about to silently thank the giver of their Christmas wishes. But the mistletoe was gone.


End file.
